


Touched by Your Longing

by kangelique



Series: The Captain Swan Playlist [20]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Deleted thoughts?, F/M, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Haunting, Last words, Longing, Moving On, Sad, Season 5 episode 21 "Last Rites"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:20:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26838118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kangelique/pseuds/kangelique
Summary: All he can think is he belongs with Emma and their white picket fence life, but the light engulfs him and he has a promise to keep.She's supposed to be grieving, but 'Emma, I miss you' stops her on the sidewalk.And the only thing left to do is admit she misses him too -wherever he is...
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan
Series: The Captain Swan Playlist [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1327670
Kudos: 15





	Touched by Your Longing

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired after I finished a re-run of season 5 back in September. It's not much, not that long, but it came to me, and if you have any ideas for Killian 'haunting' Emma before Zeus helped make our hearts whole again, just leave it to me in the comments. Anyway, hope you like this

**Touched by Your Longing:**

He expected darkness. 

Light, glowing and ethereal light caused his eyes to squint and his palm to blanket above his eyebrows as he walked closer. The same light Liam had disappeared into with one last salute. The way to move on as he’d told Arthur. So much white pierced his vision, but he continued for Emma, perhaps for himself. A deep breath and his disorientation faded, abruptly revealing a long never-ending hallway lined by tall columns. 

“Hello, Killian,” said an echoing voice. 

He spun around. “Who are you? What do you want?” His eyebrows furrowed. Hades’ consistent questioning had left a mark on his person, a guarded tone ready to spike.

The man before him was dressed in a simple, silk robe with golden fabric to enhance the edges and collar. In the light, his bronze skin held a subtle glimmer, just as his hair, but it was his kind eyes and slightly crestfallen smile that convinced Killian he was not an enemy. 

“I want to thank you. Because of you, something very important has been done. Those above have finally destroyed the misguided god of death. My brother, Hades.”

Realization sipped into his whispered, “Zeus.”

He nodded, albeit sadly. “Indeed.” He stepped forward and placed a gentle hand upon his shoulder. “And I’m here to escort you onward. Are you ready?”

“I am,” Killian said, but his eyebrow arched. His love was safe. Her family was home. The danger had been vanquished. There should be peace reveling in his chest, but there was only deep foreboding. Regardless he had promised and that promise was all that was left of their tale. He must do this. 

Zeus stared at him, corner of his mouth twitching as though he knew a secret before he said, “Then it is time to take you to where you belong.” 

His jaw ticked.  _ Emma.  _ That is where he belonged. 

But he turned to face the light and closed his eyes to envision what lay ahead. Would it be Liam and him sailing the high seas once again? Bloody hell, all that danced in his mind was a white-picket fenced life -and her eyes, brilliant green and shining with tears, her nose and cheeks flushed by the knowledge that they would have to let go, her hair giving him one more caress, her hands trembling as they cupped his cheek and kissed him with ardour. 

“Emma, how I miss you,” he sighed. 

And then he hunched his shoulders as the light engulfed him. 

**********

They’d defeated Hades, but she was on her way to Robin’s funeral. 

_ Robin.  _ God, first Killian and now Robin. 

They hadn’t known each other that well, but he’d followed her to the Underworld for Regina. He’d double checked trails in their search for Killian. He’d been there for Killian when she was the Dark One. He’d been nothing but friendly smiles and humble hands and he was gone. Dead because of Hades’. Because of her, because she couldn’t let go of Killian. 

Emma fingered the flask in her pocket. If she concentrated, the image of his thumb gliding over the smooth surface, the full lips wrapping around the hole to take a swing, the lingering fingers on her knuckles when she passed the flask back were still there, still capable of repeating on a loop in her memories. Suddenly hot tears were rushing down her cheeks, clogging her throat from making any sound at the end of the street. 

She’d told her mom and dad and Henry that she was fine, she would meet them at the cemetery, but really she needed a walk and a drink and no one had noticed her picking up his flask when it’d fallen out of his jeans the second time he had - _ she had  _ killed him. She’d hid it behind a throw pillow on the couch of their house. 

Was it still their house? Even if the man who’d chosen it was dead and she was nothing but a shell of their plans?

“Come on.” She inhaled a deep breath. She had to move, but her legs were jelly.

Everyone was expecting her to grieve. 

Her grip tightened on the flask and she closed her eyes. His face was still there, tear-streaked and pained. His palm was still caressing her arm and stroking her hair, fingers burying like they could stay there forever in their kiss. Their lips were still pressing, urgent and looking to taste one more time. 

A wind brushed through her ponytail, swinging it with a hoarse, resigned voice touching her neck. 

“ _ Emma, how I miss you _ ,” he sighed, below her ear, so far and so close. 

She gasped, spun around, lips between breaking into a smile or breaking into a sob, eyes jumping to find him.

He wasn’t there. Of course not. Weeks of vigilation were rearing its head. She’d promised him that too. Once they defeated Hades she would sleep for weeks. 

Her hope smashed, her chest cracked, Emma turned and finally breathed the truth. 

“I miss you too.”


End file.
